23000km later, Sydney and birthdays

A quick flight from Ballina and back to the starting point in June, lovely, gorgeous Sydney! Time flies and we arrive back in Sydney with a better view of Australia as a country and its potential for its occupants. Its a massive country with vast wealth in mineral, cultural and landscape terms. The people are optimistic, proud and determined to let the world share in their fortune. The word competitive springs to everyones mind with the mention of Australia in the sporting arena, and rightly so, but i think that pertains mainly to sport and they are much more thoughtful and level headed in other areas. The countries treatment of the Aboriginies is rubbish but England doesn't have too much to be proud of in the treatment of Indigenous populations and to support Australia in this sticky issue is the most constructive approach. Great to be back with Nick and Nikki and to have CloDeli around the corner again for large breakfasts and a place to sit and watch the world go past in Clovelly. Its a busy mini street with all the essentials available: Clodeli is the hub and people who breakfast from all walks are in and out for take outs or a sit-downs.
The 'Tagine' is particularly yummy, hot and tasty with poached eggs laced with peperoni sausage in a spiced sauce washed down with a frothed flat-white (latte in anybody elses language).
We are in for a birthday treat with some old KJCérs coming around for a catch up and a supper. A double celebration as Nick is off to climb Kilimanjaroo and is leaving the next day via Dar Es Salaam (Always sounds exotic and dangerous) before setting off to climb the peak which is 5895m although it is made up of three distinct peaks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kilimanjaro
We have a fantastic dinner with some great company complete with a highly competitive game of 'Articulate' which became competitive as a direct result of the formation of teams - Old KJCérs against the rest of the world...which arouses the latent competitive fire in any aussies gut...game on!
Lovely evening with a little back-slapping about how good we all look for our age and how there couldn't be a better looking group in the world sitting down for dinner
looking less like their age etc etc...foolish words man. Please welcome..the 40+ hangover that takes a week to clear...the sort an average student can shake off by 11 before joining the Olympic drinking team for a weekend saturated in spirit...alas, i knew you well, once.
We set off on the Sunday (still a day to go before the birthday but this is one to last a few days) for Melbourne with Jetstar who drop us off at Avalon airport on the west side of Geelong. We set off north which will take us through Ararat, Warracknabeal, Ballarat and places to Brad, Sue and Wills house. Them we met in Heron Island live in a beautiful agricultural area north of Warracknabeal. This is our final destination. On the way we stop in at Ararat to meet Brian Bourne (no relation to Jason), our guru and friend from Henley who is working a locum in a chiropractic practise. It is very cold here and this is it...its beautiful, the sun shines but a cold wind runs up the high street, up your trousers, through every crack in your house and you remain cold for a good portion of the year. We lunch and then Brian kindly gives us a treatment in the new practise. It feels like home!!
Next stop, Gualquil and the house that Brad and Sue built...with a little help from Will, their son. We arrive late in the evening and there is a supper and the largest choco cake sitting waiting for our attention. Great night and a chocolate cake that really is just chocolate...marvellous...we have to finish it off in the morning.
We get a tour of the farm in the morning, the land is parched a little and rain is needed now or as soon as..it is distinctly possible that it may not! Its a fertile area but is in a rain shadow and it is always a close thing on the crops. The wheat is looking a little short and there is brown appearing in sections...water please. We visit the goat colony - 500 or so - very popular with the Asian market and are good hardy animals to rear, they remind me of Isla Juan Fernandez - or Robinson Crusoe Island and the goats there which lived in perfect isolation without any particular problem for 300 years or so. Its a lovely farm and a real insight into the farming community in Victoria and Australia...bit like blighty really, same public indifference to the farmers plight. Will has just mastered the bi-cycle and it is an onour to see him careering around the yard for the first time.
We have very important dinner date in Melbourne for the third of its kind on this birthday...never tire of it. We arrive at Julien and Nicoles for a slurp of champagne before off for a top nosher at The Sails restaurant on Elwood seafront. It is brilliant and rounds off the birthday celebrations...a real treat and gracious, thanks to all those that took part!!
Back to Sydney via Jetstar for our last few days in Aus. Nikki, Nick and Alice have bought us tickets for Il Tricotto, Puccini at the Opera House...what an absolute treat and a great send off from Sydney. The performance is totally brilliant, the cast, the orchestra and the setting. Great birthday all round.
Now Asia and the Orient...with lashings of green curry, toast, Marmite and afternoon tea!